El Puerto de Vera Cruz

Culled from: Drury, John. Dining in Chicago, New York: The John Day Company, 1931, pp. 172-173.

Note: The Newberry Library holds the personal papers of author John Drury.

EL PUERTO DE VERA CRUZ, 811 South Halsted Street

Consuls and consular attaches from Latin-American countries, Mexican caricature artists, Spanish tenors from the Civic Opera, residents of Hull-House, newspapermen, sightseeing students from the universities, and gourmets — all these indulge their fondness for "hot" dishes in this little unpretentious Mexican restaurant directly across the street from Jane Addams' famed tenement community center, Hull-House. Conducted by the good Senor Juan Malpica, this place serves an excellent Mexican cuisine — sopa de arroz, a rich and tasty rice soup with meat broth, not too hot; gallina con molle poblado, which is chicken with a thick sauce made, as its name implies, from "everything in the kitchen;" the familiar frijoles refritos, consisting of boiled beans, pulped and fried and served with Parmesan cheese and raw Spanish onions; tortillas, like very thin pancakes made of corn flour; and chocolate y pan, or, in other words, hot spiced chocolate, which is the national beverage. Some of the well-known persons who come here frequently are Al Careno, the Mexican caricature artist; Silvano Ramos, the singer; Paco Parafan, the dancer; Sam Fragas, editor of Mexico; Senor Bustamente, the pianist; and Senor Rafael Aveleyra, the Mexican consul. The Puerto de Vera Cruz is open until late.

Maitre d' hotel: Juan Malpica